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Topic: Dickerson Lap Steel Amps |
Marc Weller
From:
Upland, Ca. 91784
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Posted 25 Nov 2002 8:00 pm |
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Forumites,
I have located a MOTS Dickerson amp that matches my Dickerson Lap Steel. The amp is opened in back and I was wondering if this is the way they were originally sold or if the amp is missing some sort of rear panel.
MW |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 26 Nov 2002 9:08 am
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It's hard to say without seeing a picture of the specific amp. Check the Magnatone Archives for pictures of similar lap steel amps (including mine).
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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
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Fred Brown
From:
Austin, TX
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Posted 27 Nov 2002 3:21 pm
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Marc,
I have 40's Dickerson lap steel and matching MOTS amp. It is open in the back. And it looks like it came that way. Doesn't look like there are any screw holes or anything that would indicate a back panel. I really like the little guitar.
Fred |
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Fred Brown
From:
Austin, TX
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Posted 27 Nov 2002 3:35 pm
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OOOPS!!!! I took a look at the little sucker and it does have panel on the upper part of the back. The back of mine looks a lot like the back of the Varsity Model M-197-3-V on the web site that Brad mentioned. The fronts are totally different. I think the pic is from Brad.
By the way, Magnatone evolved from the Dickerson company. You hear a lot about Magnatone, but not much about Dickerson.
Fred |
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Zayit
From:
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Posted 27 Nov 2002 3:43 pm
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Hi Fred, Mark!
This post WAS about the Dickerson amps, but I just HAVE to second your opinion about the little Dickerson/Leilani/Magnatone Varsity steels. Mine is a charcoal MOTS Leilani and it sounds better than many axes 2-3 times what I paid for it. For a mellow 'Gibsonish' tone I play close to the pickup & for a trebly 'Fenderish' tone I play way up the neck. The durn thing weighs about one pound & has no collectible value- so I can schlep it out-of-town on planes in a gig bag & take it to jam sessions (unlike my Frypan or my '36' Epiphone model 'M' with the 1.5" horseshoe).  |
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Fred Brown
From:
Austin, TX
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Posted 27 Nov 2002 4:07 pm
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Zayit,
I know what you mean. Mine is all schlept up too. It came to me with a Str@t pup bondo'ed (..yes, auto body bondo) in place.
I eventually took that out and put Tele pup in there. I had to make a little pick guard to cover the hole. And I was able to raise the action at the bridge and the nut and balance out the strings. It sounds tons better, even the low strings. I play it through my SF PR. Sounds way better than I deserve.
Fred |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 27 Nov 2002 4:17 pm
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| I have a green mots Dickerson matching amp and guitar. The amp has a back panel, mots, with a white cloth mesh windsreen in kind of an oval shape. |
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Marc Weller
From:
Upland, Ca. 91784
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Posted 27 Nov 2002 6:28 pm
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| Well if Charles has one, they must be fine instruments !!! Actually, I have a Dickerson that is sort of a purplish grey. Came with a tweed case. The electronics work perfectly and it is a great sounding little guitar. I keep it at work, take it on vacation, I've even been known to take it to a gig. If you ask me, Mr. Dickerson was the Leo Fender of the Hawaiian guitar, designing, manufacturing and marketing a cheap and very functional instrument for the masses. |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 27 Nov 2002 7:14 pm
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Marc, I have one that I picked up years ago because it was cool looking and I hang onto it because when Joaquin auditioned for Spade Cooley, he used a green one. (I'm pretty sure, this wasn't the same one).
One of the times when he was over here and we were rummaging through the collection, He said:"I bet you've never heard of a Dickerson." So I unpiled a few things and uncased the guitar. He lit up and said, "That's just like the one I auditioned for Spade with." He then went on to tell the story of how he was underage for the union so a bunch of the Cooley bandmembers went down to the hall on his behalf to get him in. It was a wonderful moment.
Another amp you might want to keep an eye out for is a '40s Oahu 'El Capitan'. I have one in Copper MOTS that I had rebuilt, 8" speaker and it didn't come with a tone control. It doesn't need one. |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 28 Nov 2002 5:27 am
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| How do the Dickerson instruments sound? Sol Hoopii is shown in some promo photos with one and if memory serves, Belva Dickerson, daughter of the maker, was a student of Sol's. In fact, on the cover of Lorene Ruymar's book on Hawaiian Steel featuring Hoopii on the cover, I believe the illustrator airbrushed out the Dickerson and put a Tricone in Sol's hand. |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 28 Nov 2002 5:32 am
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In addition to Andy Volk's question on how do these guitars sound I would like to know the following...
The pickup on these guitars is "hidden" underneath the MOTS body covering. What happens when the pickup dies? Do you have to perform surgery by cutting into the MOTS?
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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
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c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
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Posted 28 Nov 2002 8:01 am
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| My litle blueMOTS dickerson has a kidney shaped plate on the bottom which you can access the pup thru. It takes quite an effort though. It helps if your girlfriend has long slim fingers. I have seen many dickerson amps and all were open backed. I have not seen them all though so maybe one will sneek in.When I was subbing in Cal in the 40s Joaquin had two or three 6 strg blonde Nationals that he tuned differently. He predominatly used the A tuning one. |
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Jesse Pearson
From:
San Diego , CA
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Posted 28 Nov 2002 8:42 am
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| I'm new to lap steel, but have played guitar in clubs for years. I was lucky enough to stumble onto a mint condition Dickerson lap steel with his name on the head. I didn't know what it was and no one at the store did either. I wanted to learn Jr. Brown C6th stuff, but now I'm hooked and can't stop record copying and applying theory to this beautiful sounding instrument. I made a stand out of a mike stand and have already made money with my Dickerson. Thanks Bro, nice piece of work! |
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